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Labour Future email untrue as well as misleading – and Labour investigating

As the SKWAWKBOX (and this excellent Prolestararticle) revealed, limited company ‘Labour Future’ (LF) has been accused of sending fundraising emails to people that imitate official Labour emails and have confused some people into donating on the assumption that their money is going to the Labour Party, when in fact the total given by LF to Labour appears to be precisely… zero.

The email was untrue as well as misleading. To worry recipients and encourage donations – while positioning itself as equivalent to the Tory party – the email says,

we’re being outraised and outspent by the Tories.

However, this is more than misleading – it’s untrue. As this graphic of the funds raised by UK political parties shows, Labour brings in significantly more funds than any other party, including the Tories – thanks in large part to Labour’s vastly superior membership:

Members have also complained that they have never given permission to Labour Future to contact them, raising concerns about the source of their data and possible contravention of the Data Protection Act.

Labour HQ would go no further yesterday than to confirm that LF is not affiliated to the Party – but the SKWAWKBOX can now confirm that the matter is being brought to the attention of Wansbeck MP and party Chair Ian Lavery by MPs concerned at the potential for misleading members and misdirecting funds intended to support party activities, with a request for him to investigate.

This opens the door for potential action against LF, including possible legal and police action, if the company is judged to have breached copyright, electoral, fundraising or data protection laws.

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“Members have also complained that they have never given permission to Labour Future to contact them, raising concerns about the source of their data and possible contravention of the Data Protection Act.”